As China ushers in the Spring Festival of 2026, a vibrant tapestry of celebration and controversy has unfolded across the nation. While millions joined in the festivities of the 2026 China Cultural and Tourism Gala, streamed live from the coastal city of Yangjiang, another story simmered beneath the surface: a wave of bans on Japanese anime cosplay and merchandise at major events, reflecting the persistent undercurrents of historical memory and cultural diplomacy.
The Spring Festival Gala, a centerpiece of China’s holiday season, kicked off on February 7, 2026, with a nearly 20-hour livestream produced by the China Media Group’s Chinese Language Global Program Center in partnership with Yangjiang City. According to CCTV4, the event brought together representatives from all 21 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province and nine cities from eight other provinces. Their mission? To showcase the rich mosaic of China’s scenic and cultural attractions, and to provide both domestic and international audiences with an immersive travel guide for the season.
“Let’s celebrate the Chinese New Year in Guangdong,” one of the event’s slogans, resonated throughout the livestream. Participants could virtually explore the coastal beauty of Yangjiang, stroll along Hailing Island, and marvel at the treasures of the Maritime Silk Road Museum of Guangdong. Yangjiang, often dubbed the “Hometown of Chinese Kites” and a “Lacquerware Hub,” took center stage, offering viewers a glimpse into its intangible cultural heritage. The event wasn’t just digital: an offline exhibition area featured the bustling “Guangdong Goods Fair,” where thousands of Spring Festival products were on offer, and the “National Cultural Tourism Showcase,” which promoted specialty items from across China. Interactive giveaways, from scenic spot tickets to tourist packages, kept the festive spirit alive for viewers tuning in from afar.
Traditional performances like lion dances and the Chaozhou-Shantou Yingge dance lit up the gala, while cultural-creative product promotions and displays of intangible heritage added an extra layer of excitement. The blend of modern connectivity and ancient tradition painted a picture of a nation eager to celebrate its diversity and cultural wealth.
Yet, as the sounds of drums and laughter echoed through the festival, a different kind of commotion was brewing in the world of pop culture. Since early 2026, cosplay and merchandise sales of the wildly popular Japanese anime series Detective Conan have been banned at several events in China, including major gatherings in Beijing, Chongqing, and Lanzhou. According to reporting by Kyodo News, these bans followed a surge of backlash over a recent collaboration between Detective Conan and the manga series My Hero Academia—a partnership that, for many in China, reopened old wounds linked to Japan’s wartime history.
The controversy traces back to 2020, when My Hero Academia was removed from Chinese video platforms. The reason? The villain Maruta Shiga—a name that references the infamous Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army, responsible for horrific human experiments and wartime biological and chemical warfare research in northeastern China. “Maruta,” meaning “logs,” was the code name for victims of these experiments, and the choice of character name was seen by many as deeply offensive. The manga’s creators have explained that the name also nods to Kiyoshi Shiga, a renowned Japanese bacteriologist, but the historical resonance proved too raw for many Chinese viewers.
Fast forward to 2026: the collaboration between Detective Conan and My Hero Academia was intended to commemorate the 30th and 10th anniversaries of the two anime franchises. As part of the project, the authors released illustrations of each other’s lead characters—a gesture meant to celebrate creative synergy, but one that instead sparked a new wave of criticism. Many in China labeled the campaign as “insulting to Chinese people,” reigniting calls for boycotts and stricter controls at cultural events.
The response from event organizers was swift and decisive. On February 5, 2026, those planning to attend a major anime gathering in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, were met with a stern warning: anyone wearing kimono, wooden clogs, or outfits associated with militarism would be denied entry. The organizers explained, “My Hero Academia involves historical issues that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.” Their stance echoed the sentiments of many attendees, who argued that the event should foster a respectful and positive atmosphere.
Meanwhile, at the Beijing anime fair held over the weekend of February 7-8, similar prohibitions were enforced. Organizers stated that the bans on cosplay and goods sales were “intended to create a good atmosphere.” The ripple effect reached the Chongqing anime expo, which not only banned Detective Conan and My Hero Academia but also extended the restrictions to the beloved Japanese game Pokemon. The reason? Public anger over a planned card game event featuring Pokemon characters at Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine—a site that honors Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals after World War II, as well as millions of Japan’s war dead. The event, originally scheduled for January 31, 2026, was ultimately canceled, but the incident left a bitter aftertaste.
The Yasukuni Shrine has long been a flashpoint in East Asian relations, viewed by China and South Korea as a potent symbol of Japan’s past militarism. As Kyodo News reports, the decision by event organizers in Chongqing to ban Pokemon-related cosplay and merchandise was a direct response to the anger stirred by the shrine’s association with wartime atrocities. The move underscored how deeply historical memory continues to shape cultural and commercial exchanges in the region.
For many Chinese fans of Japanese pop culture, the bans have been a source of disappointment and frustration. The worlds of anime and gaming have long served as a bridge between young people in East Asia, offering a shared language of imagination and creativity. Yet, as these recent events show, even the most beloved characters can become entangled in the unresolved legacies of the past.
At the same time, the Spring Festival Gala’s exuberant celebration of cultural diversity and regional heritage offered a counterpoint—a reminder of China’s enduring capacity for renewal and joy. As representatives from across the country gathered to promote their unique traditions and scenic wonders, the livestream’s interactive giveaways and virtual tours drew in audiences from around the world. The contrast was striking: on one side, the embrace of cultural exchange and modernity; on the other, the ever-present shadows of history.
In the end, the stories of the 2026 Spring Festival—both the jubilant and the contentious—reflect a nation at a crossroads, balancing pride in its heritage with the challenges of global cultural engagement. As China looks to the future, the lessons of the past remain close at hand, shaping the ways in which art, memory, and celebration intersect on the world stage.